Here Be Dragons - 1 Read Online Free PDF Page A

was not surprised, therefore, by the boy's emphatic answer.
Actually, Llewelyn knew far more about carnal matters than MOP
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«n suspected, for he knew at^°Ut Gwy- The average parish priest gie Welsh or
English or Fren, '^ "? a ^-educated man; Morgan
* s an exception. Most were ^J^^ ** *»"** °f S bacy -s one that not many
%?^^^?- I* was not of bacy was one that not many co', Sh°Ulder with equanimity. It was not
3 uncommon for these L^*^?to f e/° ** hearths ^Z Uve-in concubines, and while e Ulurch officially decried these liai sons, they were tacitly accepts "*' *
PeoPle as inevitable and even natural. Unlike so many of his ^ °W dencs'
Morgan had never taken a wife or hearthmate, and the o/^! ere few when he'd found his vow of chastity too onerous fo/" Y3 flesh" He wa« always quite dis creet, and it was purely by cha^"" , Llewelyn had found out about
Gwynora. He had told no one, a^ W°Uld never have dreamed of savine a word to Morgan; it gave him S W3rm glow of Pleasure to keep a secret for this man he so loved.
"I know all about carnal 1/^*1' Morgan'" he said loftily "But what has that to do with one of /
    that he yearns t/7 cross-"
"You mean go on pilgrimag/ tO the Holy Land?" Morgan nodded and then h/SI*fed again" "The fact remains however, that Richard has been knov^" mdu]8e in an unnatural vice He would rather satisfy his lust with me" with women."
Llewelyn's eyes widened "E^Ut' ' ' but how?" he blurted out then saw Morgan frown, and lapsed Jnt° a chastened silence. Men lavine with other men? How was that P°SS K'? He'd SCen enoug* animal! mating to be able to envision a coJP ng betwee" a man and woman but when it came to coupling betwee/* f6"' his imagination failed him' "Morgan ... do Richard's bX share this sin?"
"It is not a hereditary vice tle^elvn- it does not pass with the
S' M°rgan S3id dr^ " ?Cnry WaS hWU though h,ld,ess, Geoffrey's sins are be/°"d "Ttin8> but he does confine youn ^ fleSh f° adultery- As
<1Op'ng hlm in a Plumed cloud C' darling, I thought you ^°Uld have a Pi]l tonight. And I
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brought you this
She opened her palm. "See? It's a coral
Patet noster.You put it under your pillow and you'll not be troubled by x dreams."
She began to adjust the covers, tucking him in, all the while keep; up a running commentary about his "battle scars," telling him of fight his father had gotten into as a youngster. He had reached the age whe he'd begun to shy away from caresses, and she confined herself to playful kiss on the tip of his nose, saying cheerfully, "Get some slee now, sweeting, and when next there is a full moon, we'll go out by th moat and catch a frog. Then we'll draw a circle around it, throw a handful of salt about, and you whisper to the frog the name of the wretch who gave you that fearsome black eye . . . and within a month he'll find himself covered with loathsome, hairy warts!"
She got the response she was aiming for; her son grinned. But as she straightened up, Morgan touched her elbow, drew her away from the pallet.
"I do wish, Madame," he murmured, "that you would refrain from filling the boy's head with such fanciful thoughts. Superstitions of that sort are rooted in pagan rites and have no place in Christian belief."
Marared laughed, unrepentant. "Do not be such a stick, Morgan!" But then her amusement chilled as if it had never been. The dark eyes narrowed, the full red mouth thinned noticeably. It was as if he were of a sudden looking at a different woman altogether.
"I want the names, Morgan."
"Names, Madame?"
"The names of the hellspawn who did that to my son," she hissed "I know he told you, he tells you everything."
"He does not want you to know, Madame. It's better forgotten."
"Forgotten? That is my son, flesh of my flesh! I'll not let"
"Mama?"
They both turned back toward the bed. Marared leaned down, smiled at her son.
"Are you not sleepy yet, sweeting?"
"Yes . . ." The day's trauma and the medicinal wine had loosened Llewelyn's tongue at last. "Mama, I do hate it here.